24
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986
DEMOCRACY AND ELECTIONS MORE ACCEPTABLE
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DEMOCRACY AND ELECTIONS, UNDER WHICH PEOPLE EXERCISE THEIR FREE CHOICE, ARE NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM AND YET THEY ARE MORE ACCEPTABLE AS A FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THE HON DESMOND LEE SAID DURING THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE SECTION OF THE ADDRESS ON THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT WAS EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS, HIGHLY QUALIFIED, NON-COMMITTAL AND COMPLETELY OPEN, ÎN CONTRAST TO THE GREEN PAPER AND THE WHITE PAPER OF 1984 WHICH SHOWED CLEAR INDICATIONS OF THE WAY AHEAD AND CONTAINED A MUCH STRONGER NOTE OF COMMITMENT AND DETERMINATION.
MR LEE SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THE WHITE PAPER PUBLISHED IN 1984, THE NEXT STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WAS A DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT BY 1988 AND THIS WAS THE COMMITMENT THE GOVERNMENT MADE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
HE SAID HE FELT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SEEK CONFIRMATION OF THE STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA OF DIRECT ELECTIONS AS MENTIONED IN THE WHITE PAPER, IN THE POLITICAL REVIEW NEXT YEAR.
NOTING THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE AN ABRUPT PROCESS BUT A GRADUAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE PRESENT STRUCTURE, MR LEE LIKENED THE PROCESS TO THE METAMORPHOSIS GROWTH OF AN INSECT WHICH COMPRISED OF FOUR STAGES-THE EGG, THE LARVA, THE PUPA AND THE ADULT.
+THE EGG OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN HATCHED AND IT IS NOW A LARVA,+ HE SAID, ADDING THAT IT MUST GO THROUGH FURTHER TRANSFORMATION OF THE PÚPA STAGE BEFORE BECOMING AN ADULT.
+DIRECT ELECTION IS PART OF THE TRANSFORMATION AND SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IF THE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IS TO BECOME MATURE,+ HE STATED.
MR LEE SUGGESTED A +QUARTER SYSTEM+ FOR THE FORMATION OF THE LEGISLATURE BY 1988.
HE SAID A QUARTER OF THE SEATS SHOULD BE FILLED BY DIRECT ELECTION WHILE THE REMAINDER EQUALLY SHARED AMONG THE THREE EXISTING CATEGORIES-APPOINTMENTS, FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND ELECTORAL COLLEGES.
THIS SYSTEM